| Course title | Biophysical Chemistry |
|---|---|
| Course code | KFC/BFCH |
| Organizational form of instruction | Lecture |
| Level of course | Master |
| Year of study | 1 |
| Semester | Summer |
| Number of ECTS credits | 3 |
| Language of instruction | Czech |
| Status of course | Compulsory-optional, Optional |
| Form of instruction | Face-to-face |
| Work placements | This is not an internship |
| Recommended optional programme components | None |
| Lecturer(s) |
|---|
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| Course content |
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Thermodynamics in biochemistry, entropy, dissipative processes, driving forces and energy flow in organisms. Water and solutions as an environment for biochemical processes. Organism as an opened system in a stationary state. Kinetics, non-equilibrium thermodynamics, oscillatory reactions in complex systems, biorhythms, pharmacokinetics. Proteins. Structure, stability, non-covalent interactions, hydrophobic effect and "fear of vacuum", Ramachandran plot, protein folding and the role of entropy, mechanisms of protein folding. Principles of enzyme catalysis. Protein - ligand and protein - inhibitor interactions, docking. Lipids, membranes, surface tension, self-assembly, concentration gradients and membrane potentials, membrane proteins, transport through a membrane. Nucleic acids, DNA forms, RNA stability and folding, ions and ionic strength. Interactions of DNA and RNA with proteins, molecular recognition. Experimental methods for biomolecule studies. Spectroscopy, microscopy, cryo-electron microscopy, fluorescence, NMR, X-ray, mass spectrometry, calorimetry. Streghts and weaknesses of various methods. Modelling biomolecules. Computer simulations, approaches, information obtainable through computer simulations. Combination of modeling and experiment.
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| Learning activities and teaching methods |
Monologic Lecture(Interpretation, Training)
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| Learning outcomes |
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Basic molecular components of life systems are shown from a viewpoint of physical chemistry. A brief overview of contemporary experimental and theoretical tools to study biomolecules is presented. Among the discussed topics are structure and thermodynamics of nucleic acids, proteins and membranes, protein folding, biomolecular interactions and some related kinetic issues.
Understanding of physico-chemical principles of biological processes and application of acquired knowledge. |
| Prerequisites |
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unspecified
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| Assessment methods and criteria |
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Oral exam
Students should be able to discuss a given topic (two questions). |
| Recommended literature |
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| Study plans that include the course |
| Faculty | Study plan (Version) | Category of Branch/Specialization | Recommended semester | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faculty: Faculty of Science | Study plan (Version): Physical Chemistry (2021) | Category: Chemistry courses | 1 | Recommended year of study:1, Recommended semester: Summer |
| Faculty: Faculty of Science | Study plan (Version): Chemistry (2019) | Category: Chemistry courses | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: Summer |
| Faculty: Faculty of Science | Study plan (Version): Chemistry - Analytical Specialist (2021) | Category: Chemistry courses | - | Recommended year of study:-, Recommended semester: Summer |